Match Preview: Wales v Ireland

2007 RBS 6 NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday, February 4

WALES v IRELAND, Millennium Stadium, 3pm (live on RTE Two/BBC One)

WALES: Kevin Morgan; Hal Luscombe, Jamie Robinson, James Hook, Chris Czekaj; Stephen Jones (capt), Dwayne Peel; Gethin Jenkins, Rhys Thomas, Chris Horsman, Ian Gough, Alun Wyn Jones, Alix Popham, Martyn Williams, Ryan Jones.

Replacements: Matthew Rees, Duncan Jones, Robert Sidoli, Gavin Thomas, Mike Phillips, Ceri Sweeney, Aled Brew.

IRELAND: Girvan Dempsey; Andrew Trimble, Brian O’Driscoll (capt), Gordon D’Arcy, Denis Hickie; Ronan O’Gara, Peter Stringer; Marcus Horan, Rory Best, John Hayes, Donncha O’Callaghan, Paul O’Connell, Simon Easterby, David Wallace, Denis Leamy.

Replacements: Jerry Flannery, Simon Best, Neil Best, Mick O’Driscoll, Isaac Boss, Paddy Wallace, Geordan Murphy.

Referee: Kelvin Deaker (New Zealand)

MATCH ODDS (courtesy of Paddy Power):

Wales To Win 8/5, Draw 22/1, Ireland To Win 1/2
Wales To Win (+5pts) 10/11, Draw (5pts) 22/1, Ireland To Win (-5pts) 10/11
First Try Scorer: A Trimble 10/1, C Czekaj, H Luscombe, D Hickie, B O’Driscoll, G Murphy 12/1
Man Of The Match Award: B O’Driscoll, R O’Gara 7/1, S Jones 8/1, G D’Arcy 9/1

SIX NATIONS RECORDS:

WALES –

Matches Played: 35
Matches Won (%): 14 (40%)
Matches Lost (%): 19 (54%)
Most Wins In A Season: 5 (x1)
Total Points Scored: 793
Total Points Conceded: 961
Total Tries Scored (Average Per Match): 77 (2.2)
Total Tries Conceded (Average Per Match): 92 (2.6)
Overall Six Nations Ranking (Points): Fourth (30 points)

IRELAND –

Matches Played: 35
Matches Won (%): 25 (71%)
Matches Lost (%): 10 (28%)
Most Wins In A Season: 4 (x4)
Total Points Scored: 946
Total Points Conceded: 737
Total Tries Scored (Average Per Match): 95 (2.7)
Total Tries Conceded (Average Per Match): 74 (2.1)
Overall Six Nations Ranking (Points): Second (50 points)

2006 SIX NATIONS RESULTS:

WALES (Fifth) – England 47 Wales 13, Twickenham; Wales 28 Scotland 18, Millennium Stadium; Ireland 31 Wales 5, Lansdowne Road; Wales 18 Italy 18, Millennium Stadium; Wales 16 France 21, Millennium Stadium

IRELAND (Second) – Ireland 26 Italy 16, Lansdowne Road; France 43 Ireland 31, Stade de France; Ireland 31 Wales 5, Lansdowne Road; Ireland 15 Scotland 9, Lansdowne Road; England 24 Ireland 28, Twickenham

2006 SIX NATIONS STATISTICS:

WALES: Most Tries – Gareth Thomas, Mark Jones 2 tries each; Most Points – Stephen Jones 37 points (1 try, 7 conversions and 6 penalty goals); Most Goals – Stephen Jones 32 points (7 conversions and 6 penalty goals; 76% success rate)

IRELAND: Most Tries – Shane Horgan 3 tries; Most Points – Ronan O’Gara 76 (1 try, 10 conversions and 17 penalty goals); Most Goals – Ronan O’Gara 71 (10 conversions and 17 penalty goals; 82% success rate)

WALES: Team Totals – Tries: 8; Penalty Tries: 1; Conversions: 7/9; Penalty Goals: 7/9; Drop Goals: 0/1; Scrums Wons: 45; Scrums Lost: 2; Lineouts Won: 86; Lineouts Lost: 16; Penalties Conceded: 58; Drives From Rucks: 157; Passes From Rucks: 142; Mauls Won: 14; Ball Won In Open Play: 313; Ball Won In Opponents’ 22: 66; Set Piece Ball Won: 167; Kicks To Touch: 57; Errors From Kicks: 24; Offloads In Tackle: 89; Tackles Made: 364; Tackles Missed: 37; Total Errors Made: 100; Turnovers Won: 31; Free Kicks Awarded: 11; Passes Completed: 648; Possession Kicked: 132

IRELAND: Team Totals – Tries: 12; Penalty Tries: 0; Conversions: 10/12; Penalty Goals: 17/24; Drop Goals: 0/1; Scrums Won: 39; Scrums Lost: 1; Lineouts Won: 94; Lineouts Lost: 9; Penalties Conceded: 41; Drives From Rucks: 116; Passes From Rucks: 207; Mauls Won: 31; Ball Won In Open Play: 354; Ball Won In Opponents’ 22: 100; Set Piece Ball Won: 194; Kicks To Touch: 61; Errors From Kicks: 17; Offloads In Tackle: 67; Tackles Made: 339; Tackles Missed: 45; Total Errors Made: 99; Turnovers Won: 38; Free Kicks Awarded: 11; Passes Completed: 747; Possession Kicked: 139

LAST YEAR’S MEETING:

IRELAND (11) 31 WALES (5) 5
February 26, 2006 – Lansdowne Road, Att: 49,500

Scorers: Ireland: Tries: Wallace, Stringer, Horgan; Cons: O’Gara 2; Pens: O’Gara 4
Wales: Try: M Jones

Ireland: Murphy; Horgan B O’Driscoll, D’Arcy, Trimble; O’Gara, Stringer; Horan, Flannery, Hayes, O’Callaghan, O’Kelly, Easterby, Wallace, Leamy.

Replacements used: S Best for Horan (69 mins), O’Connor for Wallace (75), M O’Driscoll for Easterby (77).

Wales: Byrne; M Jones, Luscombe, Watkins, James; S Jones, Peel; D Jones, R Thomas, A Jones, Gough, Sidoli, Charvis, Williams, Owen.

Replacements used: Henson for S Jones (19 mins), Jenkins for D Jones (46), Delve for Charvis (56), M Davies for R Thomas (61), B Davies for Byrne (73).

RBS Man of the Match: Shane Horgan (Ireland)
Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)

RECENT ENCOUNTERS:

2006 – Ireland won 31-5 at Lansdowne Road
2005 – Wales won 32-20 at the Millennium Stadium
2004 – Ireland won 36-15 at Lansdowne Road
2003 – Ireland won 35-12 at Lansdowne Road
2003 – Ireland won 25-24 at the Millennium Stadium
2002 – Ireland won 54-10 at Lansdowne Road
2001 – Ireland won 36-6 at the Millennium Stadium
2000 – Wales won 23-19 at Lansdowne Road
1999 – Ireland won 29-23 at Wembley Stadium
1998 – Wales won 30-21 at Lansdowne Road
1997 – Ireland won 26-25 at Cardiff Arms Park
1996 – Ireland won 30-17 at Lansdowne Road

DID YOU KNOW?:

* The first international between Ireland Wales was back in 1882. Wales won by two goals and two tries to nil, which in today’s language means four tries with two conversions

* Wales beat Ireland at the Millennium Stadium in March 2005 to claim their first Grand Slam since 1978

* These two sides both made their first ever World Cup apperance when they met at Athletic Park in Wellington, New Zealand in the 1987 tournament. Wales ran out 13-6 winners, with Cardiff centre Mark Ring scoring the only try of the game